


Machinist

by TheAzureFox



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: AU, F/M, Purple and Yellow children will show up when revealed, based on hzd, platonic relationships must come first, romance not until later, they are both dead to me, until then
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-11-20 19:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11341926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAzureFox/pseuds/TheAzureFox
Summary: Machines rule the world.This, Yusaku knows.He just doesn't understand why.(AU. YusakuxAoi, EmaxAkira. Romance is not the main focus point)





	1. Red-Eyed Raid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess I can include this chapter in my one fic a week count. Probably won't be the case for any chapter onwards bc I'm gonna wanna stretch my wings sometimes but, eh, if I don't post anything else this week consider this my weekly quota.
> 
> The idea from this story comes from the game Horizon Zero Dawn. It is heavily, heavily influenced from the game but doesn't follow the same plot as the HZD (bc I really don't want to rehash everything from that game in Yusaku's POV and also because I'm not THAT lazy). As such, references will be made from that game such as the creatures (machines) that inhabit that world and other terminology. 
> 
> A dictionary has been included at the end of this chapter to keep people up-to-date with what is being referenced in case my writing gets confusing bc I don't want to take three hundred paragraphs to explain what a Sawtooth looks like or who the Old Ones are. The dictionary will be added at the end of each chapter every time a new machine appears or new words are brought up. Things that are mentioned with little relevance to the chapter will be left untouched. 
> 
> This is meant to be read by those who haven't played the game as well as those who haven't. Everything should be explained to the audience if not vaguely. Also, I am twisting the game's world and lore a bit to fit the VRAINS universe so it's not 100% based on the game (a la there are no Carja/Nora/Oseram, etc. but instead there's the Kingdom of Sol, the VRAINS territory, and so on and so forth) but it's close enough to be considered a heavy inspiration if not a blatant mixture of the VRAINS cast and the Horizon world.
> 
> I am guiltily shipping Aoi and Yusaku and Akira and Ema (and maybe EmaxKusanagi down the road if I go that far) in this fic. However, romance is not a strict priority (bc I want plot too not just cutesy, fluffy moments) so expect ~mystery~, adventure, and the likes down the road.
> 
> Also, if you prefer having images of the machines available so you understand more about what they look like check out the Tumblr version here for images of the different robots:  
> https://azure-fox.tumblr.com/post/162405342523/machinist-vrains-story-fanfic

A click of machinery.

Gears whirl and hiss, clashing against each other as the creature moves step by step. Its two feet stomp on helpless grass, its singular eye kept focused on the track ahead. It is a Watcher, a machine known only for its ability to scout and warn others like it. It is small in size compared to its bigger brethren but its red-eyed call makes it just as dangerous.

Yusaku edges forward, crouched among the blades of grass that hide his presence. The Watcher cannot smell him, cannot detect him through anything other than its sight or its hearing. It is almost oblivious to his presence, gaze poking above the tall grass but never inside of it.

 _Steady,_ he tells his itching hands, the need to nock an arrow so potent that he almost gives away his hiding spot. _Not yet._

The Watcher tilts its head back and forth, pauses in its track, and then moves its blue eye up and down. It looks into the forest, notes the appearance of a bird, and then moves on.

Yusaku whistles.

It stiffens, the azure light from its eye gone gold. The Watcher’s neck extends up and its body spins in his direction. It clicks, uncertain, and begins making careful footsteps in his direction. The thing is cautious, alert but unwilling to move headfirst into danger. Machines are smart beings and they will _not_ risk danger to the herds they are guarding if they can help it.

Step falls after step and Yusaku holds his breath, trembling. The Watcher comes closer, _closer_ , machine parts grinding together as it walks. He forces himself still, reaching for the spear on his back and bringing it to his front.

The Watcher continues forward. It’s five feet from him. Four feet. Three feet. Two feet. On-

Yusaku launches out of the grass and impales the creature’s neck with his spear. Sparks flare and he backs away again into the tall grass just as the machine shuts-down. The light from its yellow eye flickers and then dies and Yusaku casts his gaze out into the field beyond.

Three Striders – horse-like machines with an incessant need to kiss the ground – peer around with interest. They’ve noticed the downfall of their protector and, as such, have begun prodding around. Their golden eyes sweep the premises, completely ignoring the birds that settle on their backs or the foxes that run rampant at their feet.

Yusaku creeps forward and investigates the Watcher’s corpse. He takes off the Metal Shards and then settles for the creature’s eye. A thick coating of glass rimmed with silver sits in the creature’s eye-socket, polished and crystal-clear. Yusaku rips the parts around it away, carefully pulling at bits and pieces until he is able to detach the lens entirely. He holds it up to the sun, watches as light glints down through its center, and then notices the Strider herd that is rearing down upon him.

The boy rolls away, barely missing a hoof to the face. Another Strider charges and he jumps away from it. The beasts’ red eyes glare down upon him and he knows better than to fight three against one. So, he breaks off into a run, giving a long and high-pitched whistle that does little more than to alert the wild-life around him. He ignores the fact that nothing has changed and barely misses his legs being broken by a Strider kick. He scowls at himself, already uneasy, but relaxes when he sees another Strider heading towards him.

The new machine, unlike the others that are chasing him, has a neck of blue wires glistening with luminance. It rides beside him, keeping pace, and he mounts it with relative ease. He grabs at the wires that form into reins and yanks them, lens still in hand. The Strider speeds up, ignoring its fellow brethren as it races away.

He takes his mount through the woods of the forest, breath billowing out of his mouth and snowflakes raining down upon him. A soft chill chases away his pounding adrenaline and he watches as the footprints of a fox guide him home.

Home being, of course, the edges of a vast city far too large to properly support its people. Yusaku departs from his mounts side a little ways from the walled entrance, patting the Strider’s neck and then letting it be. The creature tilts its head at him and merely pushes its snout to the ground, more interested in pawing at the dirt than at why he is leaving it behind.

The guards at the gate give no indication that they had seen him riding his machine. They greet him as they normally do, inquiring about his business (“Hunting down machines,” he says and they nod along because it’s nothing new) and then they let him on his way.

The streets of Den City are flooded with people. Merchants wander left and right, holding out wares for customers to observe while sellswords and SOL knights walk the streets. Yusaku ignores all of them, stepping past the masses and into a small covered wagon that lines one of the many roads. He pauses at the entrance, gaze sweeping past the embroidered dog that frolics on its surface, and pushes his way inside.

A man looks up from a pile of gears and machine parts and pauses in his work. Shoichi Kusanagi, a man more grease than human, wipes at his forehead and then pulls away from his project with a sigh.

“Busy day?” Yusaku asks. He is not sincere in any way about the question, merely curious about the curtain that shelters them both from the outside world.

“I haven’t opened up shop yet,” the dark-haired man says. “Don’t look at me like that! We both know full well that this project needs some time to get finished. I can’t have customers yapping away every five seconds if I want to make some decent progress.”

“It’s just going to fail again,” Yusaku shakes his head. “You won’t be able to replicate the Overrider’s effects as easily as you would a Ravager’s cannon.”

“No, but I can try,” Shoichi returns to the beginnings of his masterpiece and then looks up at him. “I forgot to ask. Did you get it?”

The boy sighs and holds out his hand. Shoichi grabs the Watcher lens from him and inspects it closely, holding it up to the lantern inside his wagon. “It’s still in-tact, good. Hopefully my client will like it. Thanks for this again, Yusaku. I know you don’t mind but it always makes me feel bad to ask favors from you.”

“It’s fine,” Yusaku waves a hand and then takes a seat on a nearby chair, “It’s not like I don’t have anything better to do. I’m just surprised that the lens made it back in one piece; I didn’t have a chance to put it away before the Striders went after me.”

“You were chased by Striders?” Kusanagi’s head whips up in alarm.

Yusaku meets his gaze with a flat look. “I got away, obviously. I called for an overriden Strider and journeyed back to the city without any problems.”

The man pinches the bridge of his nose. “Yusaku _please_ tell me you didn’t ride to the city gates on that thing.”

“I rode it to the edge of the forest. The guards didn’t see me.”

“For the Goddess’s sake!” Kusanagi stands up and faces the blue-haired boy with angered exasperation. “You need to exert more caution! People are going to realize someday that you’re-”

“No, they won’t. A robot working for humanity’s sake doesn’t necessarily always point back to me. There are others who can over-ride machines too. At the very least, someone will just assume I’m Blue Apple or Go Onizuka or something before anyone will assume it’s me.”

“Okay, one, it’s Blue _Angel_. Two, if they check your quiver they’re going to find out soon enough. Those arrows are specially made – anyone who’s anyone will be able to recognize Playmaker’s arrows on sight.”

“Which is _why_ I have a dummy quiver instead,” Yusaku gestures to a blue quiver to the left of his chair and a red quiver to his right. His gaze remains on the latter with pointed interest. “Relax, I’ll be fine. No one’s figured it out so far.”

“That’s because you’re always hiding in the shadows. If you bring out an overridden machine into the guard’s sight they’re going to suspect something! I can only imagine the publicity you’ll be getting then! And all before my invention can come into fruition…”

Yusaku looks at the haphazard pile of metal gears and parts that form the imitation of a pipe. Beside it lies a spear with a similar device on the blunt end of it, white in shape and pulsing with light. Kusanagi moves his gaze back and forth between them, lifting up the spear to inspect the gadget on its end before looking to his own creation. He tweaks something with an item reminiscent of a screwdriver and then shakes his head in frustration.

“You missed an area,” Yusaku says, crouching down to point out the lack of a bolt. “That and your lacking a wire to this button here. Try using that spool of copper threads to fix that. I think you forgot to add it on our sixth try.”

Kusanagi nods and then does as Yusaku suggests. Once done, he pulls back and holds his creation up. “Do you think it will work now?”

“No.”

The man scowls at him. “Y’know, you could _try_ to be hopeful for me for once.”

“Judging by the last eight times we’ve tried this, I’ve given up all hope entirely,” he states flatly. “Even if you duplicate the device, you’ll probably need the data to get it programmed properly. And, considering mine doesn’t have a chip to transfer data from, I can only assume it will fail again.”

Kusanagi rubs the back of his head. “Alright, alright, I hear you,” he stands up and transfers his device into a protective chest. Yusaku picks up the spear and uses it to replace the one he had used earlier. “Still, all this about a ‘chip’ and ‘data’ and ‘programming’...I don’t think I understand it. Such strange words, where do they come from?”

“They’re Old One’s terms,” Yusaku tells him. “Specifically, they’re terms about how you get technology to work properly. How you get _machines_ to work properly.”

The man rolls up the curtain to his shop. “Ah, figures. The Old Ones certainly had a strange sense of language.”

“It’s not _that_ strange.”

Kusanagi clicks his tongue. “To you, maybe. You’re the only one who understands all this.”

Yusaku shrugs back at him. The boy leans forward and peers at the Watcher lens. “So, who’s the lucky client you’re expecting? And why can’t they get these lens for themselves? It’s not like Watcher lens are _that_ hard to obtain. Rare in such good condition, yes, but certainly not as hard to get like a Trampler’s heart is."

“He’s some bigshot in the higher ranks of SOL. Apparently, he needs the lens as soon as possible and doesn’t have the time to hunt Watchers down himself.”

“A bigshot, huh?” Yusaku rubs his chin and then offers his friend a soft smile. “You’re getting popular.”

“My reputation gets around,” he smiles to himself and then fiddles with a bag of medicinal herbs. “Oh, by the way, Yusaku?”

The boy raises an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Does the word _Cauldron_ strike a match with you?”

“Cauldrons? No, I am unfamiliar with that term.”

Kusanagi pulls up a chair beside the counter to his wagon shop. “Cauldrons are the places where machines are made. They are mysterious areas that relate to the Old Ones in some strange fashion. I thought you might be able to find clues to your past there.”

“I see. Perhaps,” Yusaku nods. “It’s not out of the question. There’s still so much to this world I don’t understand. And, it wouldn’t at all surprise me if what I’m looking for lies in what I don’t know about. Namely, these Cauldrons of yours.”

“That’s rather deep for a sixteen year old boy.”

“…Shut up.”

And Kusanagi laughs.

~~~

Time passes by at a slow rate.

In all fairness, Yusaku could probably up and leave the shop whenever he wanted to. But, he couldn’t.

There was something about helping Kusanagi that kept him rooted in the shop. Such monotonous work was boring in of itself - the customers were bland and their words even blander – but the amusement he garnered from working alongside Kusanagi was well enough.

Many of their clients were travelers just like them. They came to exchange metal shards – the equivalent of money in this time – for resources and weapons. They occasionally exchanged stories – a dead partner _here_ , a failed escort mission _there_ – but, overall, nothing significant was achieved from such chats. Information was repeated by tongue and, unless something newly significant happened in a far-off country, repetition quickly got to the head. Everything was, in one way or another, rehashed until Yusaku could only nod along as he did transaction after transaction. Once their customers came and went, Yusaku would roll his eyes and share a relieved glance with Kusanagi because _damn_ did they never want to hear another story about Grazers exploding ever again.

“How much more time do we have left?” Kusanagi inquires.

“Roughly half the day until nightfall.”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Kusanagi props his chin on the back of his hands. “Business is rough.”

Yusaku chuckles at that. Kusanagi is as impatient as he is in closing up shop, itching to end the day as early as possible. Yusaku feels it too, feels the impending dread as the sun slides slowly over head and the bland numbness that associates with stiff words and postures. Yusaku looks at the sky and then finds himself startled as he misses the manifestation of a man before him. He stares at the stranger, surprised, and Kusanagi immediately stiffens.

“Good afternoon,” the man says, donning a cloak that is blue in color. The image of a sun embroiders itself onto his breast pocket, golden threads forming the symbol for the Order of SOL. A brown-haired girl stands beside him. “I believe I asked for a Watcher lens earlier from you as of yesterday?”

“A-Ah, yes!”

Yusaku’s gaze slides from the man to the girl as Kusanagi hurries off to retrieve the lens. His stare is observant, flitting up and down in his curiosity.

The first thing he notices is that she is not a knight. At least, not a proper one. There is no Order of SOL emblem attached to her blue robe or red-painted armor on her shoulders. There is only a sun-shaped clip that tucks away a strand of her hair behind one ear and a bland expression on her face.

The second thing he notices is her gaze is kept firmly on the man and Kusanagi, gaze flicking between them with subtle interest. She seems to be ignoring Yusaku, gaze pointedly cast in every direction but his.

The man inspects the lens by holding them up to the light of the sun. He moves it back and forth and then up to his face. Careful eyes scrutinize every detail and then he nods at Kusanagi, a polite smile on his face. “Thanks for this,” the man says and then nods to the girl. “Aoi, if you mind? The payment?”

She nods and extracts a small leather bag from her person. She hands it to Kusanagi and he stares at her, baffled, because Watcher lens don’t cost this much in metal shards but yet here she is giving him a-

For the briefest of seconds, her gaze darts to Yusaku. It is only in an instant but he notices the way her brown eyes prod into him, finally taking him into observation before she moves them away. A hidden smile graces her face in that span of a moment, a kind of cunning that suggests more than meets the eye. However, as her gaze drifts away, she refuses to address him, acting as if her sudden slip in attention hadn’t occurred.

She’s blatantly ignoring him and, for that, Yusaku feels annoyed. Such disrespect would have itching for his spear but he knows better than to let his feelings get ahold of him.

He doesn’t need to make himself a murderer quite yet.

A subtle shift of motion. Something moves where nothing exists and Yusaku slides his gaze from the girl to a spot behind her. A marketplace square lacking in people meets his eyes, wagon curtains drifting in the wind and the smell of bread fresh in the air.

His imagination? Perhaps.

He turns his gaze back to the girl but she has suddenly become disturbed, her amber stare drifting to where his had been. She tugs on the man’s cloak and he stops the string of conversation he’d been having to pause and collect himself.

“I thank you for this, Kusanagi,” the man says, a smile evident. “Perhaps I will visit your shop at another time. Will you always be stationed here or will I have to wait for your next reappearance?”

“I travel, sir,” Kusanagi says with an off-handed smile. “I’m only here during the end of summer before I leave for the VRAINS.”

The man of SOL frowns at this. “If you want, I could give you a permanent spot in the royal city. Your wares would be much appreciated there.”

Kusanagi pretends to ponder over it but Yusaku can already see the decision clear in his eyes. “I thank you for this offer, Akira,” Kusanagi bows his head, “but I’m afraid I must refuse. I have clients who would need my wares as much as you. One day, though, I may take you up on that offer. Perhaps when I feel the need to retire or perhaps when I grow too old to travel.”

Aoi narrows her eyes at the man and Yusaku reciprocates the gesture with her, bristling. Her thoughts are clear on her face and she is unhappy with the rejection her friend. Her wrinkled nose, scornful lips and the haughty tilt of her head towards the atmosphere suggest that she has begun to think of them in a lesser light (and probably Yusaku much more).

Her companion, however, takes it with a chuckle. “Well, if you ever decide on coming to the royal city, please ask for my name and then give your own. The guards will be on strict orders to let you pass.”

The girl spins at _that_ , twisting to face the man with a hushed exclamation. “But, brother-!” she starts.

She’s cut off by the frown that graces the man’s face. She raises a hand to her ear, twists a lock of brown hair in frustration, and then pulls up the hood of her robe over her face. A subtle pout of her lips is all that remains. Her brother does little to fight back against her tantrum, merely sighing as he gives his goodbyes and escorts her off.

“…Who was he?”

Kusanagi picks up a feather pen and twists it back and forth between his fingers. “Akira Zaizen. Head of the Order of SOL and perhaps the closest thing the Kingdom of SOL has to a second-in-command.”

“And he came alone? Out here? In the lower cities? Why doesn’t he have more guards?”

“There are undoubtedly knights all around here that are secretly keeping watch on him. That, and his sister gives him all the amount of protection he needs.”

“That girl?” his mind flashes back to the brown-haired stranger who’d walked alongside Akira. She _had_ called him her brother but to think that she was a _guard…?_ Unbelievable.

“Yes, her. She’s one of the best fighters in the SOL Kingdom. Well, maybe not as good as, say, _Blue Angel_ , but don’t let that girl’s looks fool you otherwise. She’s as dangerous as they come.”

“Her _look_ s? What do her looks have to do with this?”

Kusanagi smiles at him. “You were staring at her the entire time.”

The boy analyzes Kusanagi’s words for a moment. “And?”

“Taking an interest?”

“She was blatantly ignoring me,” he says, a subtle push in the direction of ‘yes’. “She only looked at me once and, even then, it felt like there was almost something… _off_ about her.”

“She…seemed fine to me?”

Yusaku frowns. “She wasn’t too happy when you refused her brother’s offer.”

“Really?” Yusaku nods and Kusanagi chuckles. “Well, whatever. It’s not like I really want to be up with the wealthy-class anyways. I like it down here in the lower cities, don’t you?”

“There’s definitely less people who believe they’re all-mighty,” Yusaku agrees with a shrug of his shoulders. “And even less people to bother around the poor.”

There’s a noise of agreement from his partner and then Kusanagi prods into the bag of metal shards he’s been given. “It’s real leather,” he states, long fingers running alongside the fabric of the bag.

Yusaku glances over at it. “That must be expensive. And, to hand you a whole bag of metal shards on top of it? Pretty gracious indeed.”

“Watcher lens aren’t that rare, are they?” Kusanagi inquires in wonder, pinching out a small amount of shards and than letting them drop. “This feels a little _too_ charitable.”

“I wouldn’t stress over it.”

“No,” he puts the bag in a cabinet and nearly slams the lid, “you’re right. Business is business. Even if it’s from the Goddess-damned second of command _himself_.”

Yusaku lips move into the beginning of a smile. “Relax,” he tells the man, “it’s not like Akira’s going to put a witch-hunt on you for refusing his offer. He, unlike his sister, seemed decent.”

“Witch-hunt?”

“Ah, yes. Something else you might not know. It’s an Old One’s phrase relating to the idea of hunting down witches. The witches here, unlike their fairy tale counterparts, are metaphorical representations of people targeted by the masses via the command of another. The so-called witch is hunted down by a mob under the command of someone else in order to gain a reward of some sort. Usually, money – or, in laymen’s terms, metal shards – became the main motivator for finding such a person.”

Kusanagi blinks up at him and Yusaku fears he may have lost the man yet again. However, Kusanagi shakes his head and chuckles at him. “The Old One’s were a mysterious race. It’s a wonder you can even understand them.”

“Your people are just as strange,” Yusaku retorts. “Always believing in such weird things such as Goddesses and fearing the machines.”

“And you don’t fear them?”

“I-!” Yusaku pauses and then frowns, caught in his own web. “Yes, well, I admit I’m afraid of _those_ machines. They’re not at all like the ones we had.”

“You’ve come from quite a strange time, then.”

Yusaku quiets. “It sure seems that way, doesn’t it?” He peers up into the sky, chin propped on his lower palms. “Sometimes, I wonder myself what it would have been like to have lived in it.”

His partner leans back on a chair. “Must suck to be unable to remember nothing else but the bare specifics.”

“Mm.”

The man hums something. “You know, one day…one day I hope you find it.”

Yusaku looks over to him with questions wide in his eyes.

Kusanagi looks back at him and continues speaking.

“I hope one day you find your answers.”

~~~

Yusaku can’t sleep.

He twists and turns under his covers, hands pulling at the sheets above him and twisting them into wrinkles. The wooden floor beneath arches up into his back, clawing at him until he is in an eternal state of discomfort. Heat flares up his body, sweat building on his skin, and he leaves the comfort of his sleeping bag to appear before a starry night sky. Cool wind brushes against him and his eyes wander up and into the flecks of silver the decorate the world.

“I wonder…” he says, reaching out for the stars. He grabs at them and then lets them slip through his fingers. Unsatisfied, he climbs to the roof of Kusanagi’s wagon. “Maybe, if I had…”

_Creeeeeeeak._

His head perks up and he ducks until his chin meets the wooden planks of his hiding place. The boy’s hands reach for the spear he has on his back.

He crawls forward.

_Cuh-lick. Cuh-lick._

Tapping noises that increase at a steady rhythm. Yusaku peers out for the hint of blue and red that he suspects, shifting over from the rooftop of the wagon to the wall of the city gates. He jumps and grapples at a handhold, swinging himself onto a boardwalk that overlooks the outside world.

A sea of red awaits him. Red eyes and red veins pulse in the midnight darkness, all fixated upon the walls that stand before them. Striders and Watchers huddle at the entrance, silent and waiting. They stood as if they were already dead, motionless and yet awaiting the commands of something greater.

Yusaku stares with furrowed eyebrows, switching to his bow as he nocks an arrow. Where were the guards and why hadn’t they sounded the alarm? A massive army of machines would surely raise the need for a doomsday call. Yet, the air was thick was silence, unwilling to be broken with the sound of urgency.

_Clickty clickty._

Something moves in the darkness. A tall, lumbering shape that moves its eye in odd ways scuttles forward. It was reminiscent of a scorpion, its long tail curling above it like a while, beneath it, four legs moved in a motion of near complete stealth. It was only the gentle sounds of this beast that had alerted Yusaku to the presence of the machines. But, where were the soldiers who’d greeted him earlier that day? Off patrol? Somewhere else?

No.

Dead.

Two lonesome bodies sat underneath the scorpion’s claws, mutilated and bloodied and beyond any recognizable repair. The armor of SOL’s finest was shredded into pieces, the emblem of the sun in ruins.

Yusaku pulls out a fire arrow and lights the tip. Amber flames sprout to life, lighting up the darkness. The machines pay no heed to it, ignoring it much as they ignored the wildlife that graced their haunting sites. They knew no association to fire just as they knew no association to light. The machines were fickle in that way, they saw only by movement and cared for little but the humans that hunted them.

The boy nocks the arrow and pulls the string of his bow back. But, he does not aim for any one of the machines. Rather, he aims for the tower that sits behind him, gaze pointed to the doll-shaped siren that settles at its core.

He lets it loose and the arrow flies, plunging straight into the heart of the alarm. Flames catch and an unworldly scream echoes from the device.

The machines break their stance of silence. They rear and hiss, coming to life as the scorpion beast became alert with attention. It makes a loud cooing sound and the creatures around it became enraged, ramming themselves into the walls of the lower city and crying out for dominance.

Knights and sellswords materialize from the darkness, all united under the unsaid code of oath that lead them to the wall.

_Fight. Win. For your brethren, for your brothers and sisters against the machines that plague us all._

Yusaku watches as they climb over the walls, initiating battle cries that threaten the earth itself. Fire arrows launch into the air. Bombs go off just beyond the wall and machines shudder as electricity steals their ability to move. Yusaku follows the masses and slips out over a wall. A Watcher immediately jumps out to greet him, chortling with anger as it slams its head forward. He dances out of the way, nocks an arrow, and then shoots it in its red eye. It dies instantly, sparks fizzling as it collapses. He loots it for a few metal shards and then returns to the foray.

Two Striders ride up to him and he rolls away just as they stomp their feet down. The first Strider huffs, pawing at the ground with its hoof, and then charges. He jumps aside. Its friend rams straight into him and he hits a wall with a startled grunt.

Shaking, he raises two fingers to his mouth and whistles.

In no time at all, a Strider with a glowing blue neck appears and barrels into its two friends. He boards it and then races off with the other two behind him. Yusaku urges his horse forward and then turns around, shooting fire arrow after fire arrow until both machines ignite with flames. They wilt to the ground in a shower of sparks, collapsing upon themselves as he returns to the outskirts of the fight.

The people of the lower cities of SOL are battling desperately against the machines, spears slicing through wire necks and arrows burning through melted metal. _There are too many machines to humans_ , Yusaku realizes. And, with each second that passes, the scorpion-like machine calls for more to join it.

The scorpion. The mastermind of the whole operation, the manipulator behind a metal mask. It is an odd creature, a variety of technology that Yusaku has not seen in his time awake. There is something rather cunning about it, something so _alive_ and _ruthless_ that it sends shudders down his spine. It is as if the creature is injecting poison into the machines it encourages, its red eye pulsing in time to the red that streaks down its followers’ melting wires.

In a millisecond, Yusaku knows what he must do.

He must take this machine down.

He urges his Strider forward and carefully sets a bomb in place. Then, he puts down another. A Watcher takes note of his presence and tries to interfere but it is destroyed by his Strider’s quick hooves. Metal crunches against metal and the slender creature fails to warn its brethren of the impending danger.

However, what it does not fail to do is attract the scorpion’s attention to him. It turns its crimson gaze upon him and his Strider and there is something eerie about the way it observes him, head moving up and down its body in subtle interest.

Then, it launches itself forward.

The attack is entirely unprepared for and Yusaku finds himself crashing upon the ground as he is knocked off his mount. His Strider nickers, dazed and legs running on top empty air. The machine gives one glance at it before its tail swipes at him. Yusaku dodges, jumping away as a gash is formed into the earth.

“ _NoT_ …” a jarring voice edged with distortion speaks. “ _NoT aLLoWed._ ”

He pauses at its words, furrowing his eyebrows for the briefest of seconds. Then, he nocks a fire arrow and sends it loose.

Flames sizzle against metal and then bounce off. The creature crawls forward, its tail hovering above him.

“ _ErrOr,”_ it says, jumping forward. Yusaku rolls away. “ _NoT…NoT huMAN._ ”

He urges it forward, pulling out his Tripcaster. The beast scuttles after him and lands in front of a bomb. Bright light flickers and then explodes and the beast falls upon itself, dazed. Yusaku shoots at the ground, forming three strings of trip wires that lead up to him.

The machine awakens quickly and does not play prey to his newest trap. It hops over it and then rams its head down upon the ground. Yusaku darts away, but not before the shockwave catches up to him. He trips and falls face-first into the ground.

“ _WhY Do YoU_ …?” its contorted words continue. “ERroR…”

It walks straight into the wires and collapses yet again. Yusaku bounces forward and drives his spear into its eye. It screams in agony, legs flailing, and he has to retreat to avoid being tossed aside.

“ _SOn of MaaaAAn_ ,” the creature moves its head back and forth in an upside-down u-shape. “ _SoooON of MaaCHIneee_ …”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Something rams into the scorpion. From behind it, Yusaku’s Strider rears up and then charges at the creature. The scorpion machine hisses and then swipes its tail at the interloper. Yusaku sends fire arrow after fire arrow after it, letting his Strider act as distraction while he leads the offense. He paces himself a certain distance back and then places clusters of hot-air balloon shaped items on the ground and waits.

His Strider cries out, hooves raised to stomp down upon the scorpion, and the last of its life is taken by its opponent’s claws. The odd machine chortles at its victory before remembering its previous opponent.

It turns to face Yusaku.

“Come on, come get me,” he says, voice dulled by disinterest.

It scurries forward gleefully, machine parts screeching against each other in a dissonant laugh. “ _MAAn. MaaaaCHINE._ ”

It takes the bait and scurries headfirst into the minefield of bombs he has set up. He barely has time to blink before the impact sends him flying back. Gears and metal parts race past him, nicking his cheek and outfit. He can already taste the beginning of blood on his lips, feel new wounds sting at open air. The machine collapses into a heap of flaming parts and he watches it fall with utter awe.

“Goddess be damned,” a pink-haired lady says, eyes reflecting the corpse before her. She doesn’t seem to notice Yusaku in the shadows next to her, merely inspecting the broken machinery with terrifying fascination.

“Eye on the prize, woman!” somebody shouts and she rolls away just in time from a Watcher’s jump-attack.

Yusaku nocks a regular arrow and then shoots the Watcher’s eye before it can attack him. It slumps to the ground, molten metal dripping off it. _Metalburn_. Yusaku waits for the woman to leave the scene before he grabs a vial to collect a few drops. The liquid sizzles inside the container as Yusaku tucks it away.

Kusanagi will want to see it later.

The machines, without their leader, grow frenzied. Their attacks become wild and unstable, reckless and without thought. The humans who are left to fight them fend off their numbers easily, dwindling them down until the last red-veined beast is vanquished. When it all comes to an end, everyone gathers to marvel over the scorpion-like machine that has caused them so much trouble.

“Just what is it?” a pudgy knight inquires, poking at the metal body. He jumps back when it falls towards him, jittery. “W-Woah, is it still a-alive?”

“No, it isn’t,” the pink-haired lady from earlier bends down to inspect it. “If anything, it’s an old, old relic. I’ve never seen a machine like this. It’s got so much dust on it that I’m surprised it could even move.”

There’s a sudden fuss of voices and the group of people around the corpse part ways to reveal Akira Zaizen. The man is stiff, gaze flicking over the machine with frustration and hands shaking in agitation.

“Who took this machine down?” he inquires, gaze flitting to the woman from before. “Was it you, Ema?”

Ema raises an eyebrow at him. “Me? No. I got here just after it was taken down.”

“Then who was it? If it wasn’t you then…who…?”

Yusaku pauses in his breathing as the woman’s gaze flicks in the direction of his hiding spot.

Was it possible she had…?

“I don’t know.”

Oh. Maybe not.

“ _Someone_ must have. Machines don’t just die on their own.”

The pudgy knight of SOL pulls out an arrow from the scorpion’s corpse. “Ah!” he screams. “Look at this, sir, look at this!”

Akira wastes no time in rushing over. “Yes, what is it?”

The boy points to a subtle design that embeds itself into the arrowhead. And, even though Yusaku can’t see it, he knows exactly what it looks like. It’s a long and slender image made by the use of a carving pen.

“The mark of a feather?” Ema muses with vague interest. “Isn’t that the symbol of some wannabe hero? I’ve heard the rumors of him.”

“Playmaker,” Akira says. He dismisses the pudgy knight and the kid is more than happy to wander off to inspect the giant corpse.

“Playmaker?”

“He’s been a reoccurring presence in this area. A vigilante whose been hunting down rogue machines. He’s quite a famous hunter and it’s been rumored his skills are on par with a Machinist.”

“A Machinist? Wow, I had no idea a wannabe hero could obtain so high a status.”

Akira gives her an off-handed glance and Ema merely returns it with an innocent smile. He continues on. “If he was here tonight then perhaps we could offer up a reward to the town’s citizens for information. He’d be useful as a member of the Order of SOL.”

“My, it’s almost as if you want to get yourself a new toy. As charitable as you are, sometimes I think you have other motives.”

“I do what is best for my kingdom. This Playmaker would make a highly-beneficial asset for our kingdom, don’t you think?”

“What, and Blue Angel and Go Onizuka aren’t enough?”

“The Machinists are good, that I will admit. But, keep in mind, we still need to prepare for what is coming. Adding Playmaker to our cause would merely raise our potential for achieving our goal.”

Ema goes quiet at that. “Yes, I see your point.”

Yusaku arches an eyebrow at that. _What’s coming?_ He wants to ask but holds his tongue as he notices intruders approaching.

From the depths of the forest, two Sawtooths emerge. Cat-like creatures with wires protruding from their shoulder blades stalk forward. On top of them sit two people, one for each machine. One is a girl who’s much too blue for comfort and the other a man who seems more muscles than human.

“We came as soon as we heard the alarm,” the girl says, hopping off her machine. Ema eyes the Sawtooth uneasily, inching away from the beast and to Akira’s side. “I didn’t imagine the Corrupter would get here so fast.”

The girl’s companion remains on his ride. Yusaku recognizes him instantly. _Go Onizuka_. “We were tracking its path from the Cauldron but were attacked by bandits. We lost sight of the tracks after that.”

_Cauldrons?_

“Bandits, as in…?” Akira looks between them.

“The Knights of Hanoi,” the girl confirms.

Yusaku’s eyes narrow.

Akira pinches the bridge of his nose. “ _Goddess damned_ , Blue Angel. You weren’t supposed to _confront_ them. You were on strict orders to _avoid_ them.”

The girl – Blue Angel – raises her head defiantly. “Go was with me and we took them out easily enough. I don’t see what your issue is.”

“Taking them out won’t stop them from slitting your throat in the middle of the night.”

“Not if they don’t know who I am. My real life identity is as hidden as the moon behind the clouds.”

Her Sawtooth growls in agreement, teeth clicking with threats at Akira.

“Can we _please_ not anger that thing?” Ema huffs, gaze kept focused on the beast in front of her. “It could turn on us at any second, you know!”

“What? My Sawtooth?” Blue Angel laughs at that and strokes her companion’s head. “It’s been overridden. It won’t turn on me unless I turn on it. Or, until it’s corrupted. Or until it dies. Well, at the very least, I’m sure _I’ll_ never have to worry about it.”

It makes a purring sound and Ema cringes.

“Blue Angel, stop teasing Ema,” Akira sighs and then turns to Go. “Did the Knights follow you?”

“No. There was a bomb along the way but nothing else.”

Akira nods his head and then muses something to himself. He looks over both of them. “I want you to return home for now. We’ll deliberate over this in the morning. Meanwhile, Blue Angel, I want _you_ to come with _me_ specifically. We need to talk.”

The girl’s eyes widens but she nods, lowering her head. Her Sawtooth makes a move forward but she beckons it off.

“Wait here,” she tells it. The machine rumbles but makes no move of protest. Go’s Sawtooth meets up with it and the pair of machines wanders off and into the edges of the woods.

The man and girl disappear. Go looks over at Ema with a hint of concern. “Aren’t you leaving too? Everyone else has,” he sweeps a hand to the abandoned battlefield of machine corpses and scorched land. Not a single soul remains except for the both of them and Yusaku himself.

“Right, I…I’ll be coming into the gates soon. There’s something I want to check out first. Loot whatever’s leftover.”

Go nods and then returns inside the city walls. Ema stands alone in the field, gaze cast to the stars.

“Playmaker, huh?” she says. “Are you still here?”

Yusaku doesn’t move.

“Didn’t think so,” she shakes her head and then begins to make her way back. “Well, it’s not my problem. Whether you’re here or not…be careful for what lies ahead. You’re going to wish for some help in the future.”

And she leaves without any other words to suggest her meaning.

Yusaku’s not sure he wants an answer.

~~~

Kusanagi greets him with a hug. The action is so unexpected that Yusaku gags at the sudden restriction of airflow through his body. His friend huffs at that and releases him.

“I’m not dead yet,” Yusaku tells him.

“No, definitely not. You’re alive,” the amount of relief and glee that accompanies those words is enough to make Yusaku smile, “ and that’s all that matters to me.”

“You’re getting sentimental.”

“And you’re far too calm for someone who just joined a death mission.”

Yusaku pulls up a chair and sits down in it. Kusanagi does the same a little ways from him. “So,” his friend says, grabbing a flask of water to sip from, “tell me, what happened?”

“The machines attacked.”

“I know _that_. Let me rephrase it: what did _Playmaker_ do?”

“Oh,” Yusaku rolls his eyes. “He took down what is known as a Corrupter.”

“A Corrupter?”

“A massive beast bigger than a Trampler. It resembles a scorpion.”

“A…scorpion?”

“Think of a spider-like creature with eight legs and a tail curled over its body. It has a stringer attached with poison on the end of its tail.”

“Hmm, okay, I think I can picture that.”

“Regardless, I – _Playmaker_ – took the Corrupter down using fire arrows. At least, that’s what the public probably believes right now. They’ll find fragments of some bombs and a dead overridden Strider soon enough.”

“What a tall tale,” Kusanagi teases and Yusaku raises an eyebrow in mild protest. “I’m kidding, of course. Playmaker’s endeavors are no fable. You’re considered a hero in this part of the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if you become just as famous as the Machinists themselves after this little scandal.”

Yusaku wrinkles his nose.

“Regardless, what‘s Playmaker going to do from here on out? Correction,” Kusanagi smirks at the boy before him, “what are _you_ going to do from here on out, Yusaku?”

“Head to the Cauldrons.”

Kusanagi looks as if he has not expected that answer, eyebrows furrowing. “Why?”

“It’s where the Corrupter originated from,” Yusaku frowns at the floor. “That machine…it…it spoke to me. Utter nonsense, all of it but…it seemed like it recognized me.”

“Ah,” Kusanagi nods. “You think this Cauldron might have something to do with your past?”

“I’m hoping, anyways,” he admits with a shrug. “If the Corrupter came from there and it knows me…maybe whoever programmed it will recognize me too.”

“Whoever?” Kusanagi echoes but Yusaku stands up and offers him a hand.

“Come on,” he says, “I need to get packing.”

Kusanagi grins. “Nice to see you’re finally motivated.”

“Don’t ruin the mood.”

“Alright, alright! Let’s get moving into action then!”

“…Better.”

~~~~

Yusaku stands before a giant hole.

He can’t see the bottom of it, can’t see how long it stretches down or where it even ends.

He breathes.

And then he falls.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~(Dictionary:
> 
> Machines - sentient creatures that take on animal-esque shapes in the bodies of machines. They are dangerous creatures hostile to humans only. However, their machine parts are useful to current-day civilization and can be used to craft weapons or act as the modern currency for buying and selling.
> 
> Watchers - Bi-pedal machines with a body shape most akin to that of an ostrich. It has a thick neck and head and a long lizard-like tail. It guards herds by use of a special ‘track’ that can be only seen with a special device. They have a tendency to stick their necks up in the air and keep watch for human intruders if they sense a disturbance.
> 
> Striders - horse-like Machines with a single eye. Herd machines that can be overriden to ride as a mount throughout the land. Aggressive creatures that will not hesitate to trample humans should they appear before a Strider.
> 
> Old Ones - those that came before the current day people. They were able to create giant towers of metal and were said to have enacted the anger of the Metal Gods who once ruled the lands. Yusaku knows a lot about them and their terms….
> 
> Cauldrons - the places where machines are born. Hostile environments to humans and said origination of corrupted machines as well as uncorrupted machines. Few knows what lies inside these dwellings.
> 
> Tripcaster - a device that can set up long stretches of trip-wire to trip machines. Can shock, burn, or blast machines into a state of helplessness.
> 
> Metalburn - corroded metal that is melted. Only found on corrupted machines. Useful for many types of weapons and powerful devices.
> 
> Sawtooth - cat-like creatures with wires suspended out of their shoulder blades and huge fangs like a sabertooth tiger.)~
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Ahaha, done with chapter one. I have so much free time it's almost unbelievable that I spend most of it on my Tumblr of nearly the same name and on reading other's fanfics rather than writing my own stuff 24/7. I have procrastination issues...
> 
> Regardless, chapter one is done. Yusaku's past is hinted at and if you've played the game you'll probably know what direction I'm heading with him. He's not in the same situation as Aloy but something similarish. Head canons will be abound in this bc I'm not going to wait 50+ episodes to find about the six birds' past just to write about it in an AU. 
> 
> As always, reviews and comments are appreciated!


	2. The Birthplace of Machines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusaku explores the Cauldron for a clue to his past. Along the way, he meets with the Machinists and the Knights of Hanoi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...If I have to write another fighting scene, I'm going to fight the world with a chair, a super huge chair, a chair too big that even the sun seems small in comparison to it!
> 
> That aside, it's been like 2 months since I posted chapter 1 so I'm a bit out of touch with this story and the game it's based upon. I spent waaay too much time looking up machines and their abilities and in-game items to formulate this. Also, I hate translating combat into story format bc in-game, it looks so cool, in-story, however, it's a major pain to try and not be repetitive. 
> 
> Regardless, this chapter has some accidental parallels to episode 1 but for Angelmaker fans I'm sure you'll enjoy that part of the chapter anyways (>:Dc)
> 
> Tumblr vision with some visuals here: https: //azure-fox.tumblr.com/post/164962799593/machinists-chp-2

The Cauldron is protected by Watchers.

Yusaku nocks an arrow and watches, his Strider by his side. The horse-like machine stomps its hooves up and down in impatience, shaking with the need to run off and get loose. He calms it down with a soft click, easing away its distress with the tone of his voice.

The Watchers remain unaware of his plans, beeping and clicking to each other as they follow the tracks they have set in place for themselves. Their singular eyes scan the area, eyeing Yusaku’s Strider with temporary suspicion before retracing their steps. The boy fiddles with his bow, squinting at his targets and musing on how to approach them.

“Two Striders at the entrance,” he tells himself, “and one out on patrol. I need to silent strike the closest one before I can go after the others.”

He moves from one patch of grass to another, crawling across the ground as his first target sniffs at a mouse. The Watcher in question tilts its head back and forth, curiously edging forward as Yusaku clicks for its attention.

_“Vreeep?”_

He waits. Patience is the key to any silent strike; a much needed skill to survive in a world with robots bent on killing all of humanity. Yusaku’s tolerance of time is what has led him remain alive, giving him the ability to destroy machine after machine in order to come home alive each day. 

The Watcher creeps closer. Closer. _Closer_. It moves at an agonizing pace but its golden gaze does not fail to pay attention. Step after step it comes, caution exercised in every flow of its body. Yusaku exchanges for his bow for a spear and, when the time is right, he _strikes_.

He moves swiftly, impaling the creature's eye and watching as its curious yellow gaze fades from existence. It crumples in a fizzle of sparks, shuddering, and then collapses on the ground. When any danger of potential electrocution fades, Yusaku picks off a few metal shards from the corpse and pockets them into a spare storage bag. When he is satisfied, he moves back to his bow and points an arrow at the second closest Watcher. It remains unaware of the death of its brethren, chatting with its other friend before continuing on its path. Yusaku nocks an arrow, closing one eye to calculate the place of aim…

And he fires.

The arrow hits one of the two Watchers and both are on instant alert. Blue eyes turn to yellow and they perk their heads up, clicking in startled surprise. The two machines stare at each other, confused and stunned, and then begin to focus in on the area where the arrow had emerged from.

Yusaku clicks to his Strider and the horse-like machine lifts its head to observe its surroundings. Its gaze lands on the Watchers and it rears at their presence, charging forward to attack its enemies. The twin machines squeal as metal hooves shred into their bodies, knocking them over and stunning them as red luminance splashes over the ground. Yusaku slips forward, stabbing his spear into one of them while his Strider finishes the other off with several kicks to the head.

The boy grabs his loot off the machines and then nods to his Strider. It neighs, sparks fizzling off its skin. He avoids touching the areas of damage and grabs at its reins, leading it to the entrance of his destination.

The Cauldron of interest lies in the side of a mountain. It is a strange formation, one where the entrance lays within a triangular section of carved stone that is continuously pressed into the mountain formation. Moss and lichen sprouted on the top create the beginning of a curtain, peering down at him as he approaches the structure.

“How interesting,” Yusaku muses, a hand on his chin as he peers around, “is this what a Cauldron is supposed to look like?”

He presses a hand to a wall and notices how a section of the triangular formation gradually moves from stone to metal. The various parts and structures form a sort of door that leads to a centerpiece – a glowing circle that beckons the use of something technologically advanced.

Yusaku fidgets, grabbing at his back and snatching up his spear. He inspects the sharp-pointed tip and then switches to the blunt end. His eyebrows furrow, pondering, and then he settles the Overrider into the slot of the illuminated blue circle.

Instantly, as if drawn in by the device itself, his Overrider slides into a slot and then begins to hum with power. Yusaku struggles not to drop the spear, trying to keep it in place as it shakes in his grip. He breaths in and out, watching as the strange ‘lock’ to the door pulses with energy and then he’s sent stumbling back as his Overrider is shoved out of the circle.

“Fascinating,” he says as the metal triangle pulls back into a hidden slit to reveal a force field of hexagonal patterns. He looks at his Strider. “Well, let’s go then.”

The machine nickers, rearing up and then stepping back. The blue-haired boy frowns at it, grabbing its reins and bringing it forward. It shakes off his hand, refusing to budge.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, peering at it and the force field. “Can you not go through?”

It hums, shakes its head, and then trots a couple more steps away. Yusaku drops its reins, sighing as he holds out his spear. “Well, alright. It seems I’ll be going in alone this time.”

He moves forward, testing a hand through the force field. He waits, expecting some kind of static shock to send him starting backwards but, when none comes, he moves forward.

Tunnels of metal wires and vents of white steam await him, beckoning him forward as he slips in. His green eyes observe the change in scenery, curious but wary. He notices the traces of blue light that embeds itself into obsidian lines and watches with subtle fascination as they pulse in his presence.

His spear stands in front of him, the tip pointing towards the darkness as he readies himself for any danger that might appear. However, as he continues traversing the passageway, he finds nothing of note. There are no machines, no humans, no animals that linger to threaten his existence. Despite this, he keeps on alert, scowling every time he readies for himself for an attack only to realize all he is hearing is the threat of a spluttering smoke vent.

Eventually, however, he takes note of a brilliant light up ahead. The tunnels are dark and unsettling things, with blue flickering here and there in the form of glimmering dots. Silence reigns, with only his own footsteps to amuse his ears. He creeps forward, edging towards the spectacle of bluish-white light that ends his journey and then nearly scrambles back as he realizes the floor opens up into a cavern underneath him.

“ _Shit!_ ” he hisses, backing away just in time to avoid a fatal plummet to his death.

Yusaku pauses at the edge of the drop-off, his gaze sliding down into darkness as the cavern reaches far too down for his eyes to read. He can’t see the bottom, can’t see where he’ll end up if he decides to jump down. Still, he pulls out a grappling hook, uncoils it from its curled-up position and then latches the hook of it into place on a nook. He grabs the end of the rope and braces himself.

He breathes.

And then he falls.

~~~

The bottom of the cavern contains more metal wires and steam, dissuading away his beliefs of a light-filled paradise tucked away from society. The walls press against him in a triangular shape, beckoning him forward and away from the dead end he stands in. Yusaku sighs, pulling at his grappling hook and leaving it behind as it remains firmly stuck.

His feet clang against metal flooring and he edges forward. He looks around, green gaze piercing with the sharpest of scrutiny.

“It’s like a giant machine,” he marvels to himself, placing a hand on the walls and feeling the pulse of electricity beneath. “What created such a thing? It’s almost unnatural…”

_Clang._

He pauses, tilting his ears towards the sound.

_Clang, clang, clang!_

“A machine?” he muses, ducking towards one side of the tunnel and sliding forward towards a corner. Yusaku peers around it and immediately tucks his head back in.

Five Watchers stand in a corridor of silver. Yusaku deliberates, eyes scanning the floor as he looks through the passageway in his mind’s eye. He ponders his options, grabbing for the bombs he’s prepared beforehand and pulling out his bow. The boy looks between the two items, frowning, and then begins to put the bombs in place along the corridor.

He spaces the devices at considerable distances and then nocks an arrow. He edges to the corner and crouches down, peeking out to aim at the closest machine. He draws back the drawstring of his weapon, squints, and then releases an arrow.

“ _Vreeeeee!_ ”

He captures his audience’s attention and, automatically, three of the five seek to investigate. He clicks, his tongue meeting the roof of his mouth and then he leads them close. They follow the sound of his voice, speaking amongst themselves with little hisses as they prowl ahead.

 _Bam_.

One bomb goes off and machine parts fly everywhere. Yusaku has to duck to avoid a nasty piece of metal from digging into his forehead and takes a leap back as the wave of lash back energy sends him stumbling.

_Bam…Bam…BAM!_

Red floods the tunnel and the other two Watchers join the remaining duo, spitting and leaping to get at Yusaku. He dives away just in time as four consecutive bombs explode at once. A shard of metal cuts past his shoulder and he winces. The boy runs his fingers along the cut and feels moistness underneath, fingers turning up stained with red.

“So much for getting out of here uninjured,” he sighs, pulling out a scrap of cloth and tying it over the wound. “I’ll need to be more careful next time.”

He straightens himself up and looks at the damage he has caused. Black smolders the walls while metal pieces and sparking wires line the corridor. He picks up a few pieces here and there, inspecting for damage and pocketing away the few items that managed to retain usefulness from the blast. As he does so, he takes notice of something rather peculiar.

“A dagger?”

Yusaku bends down to pick up an odd piece of polished silver, flipping it back and forth with mild interest. His gaze scans the handle, looking for any mark or etching that could give a hint as to its original owner. However, much to his disappointment, all he can find is the emblem of SOL embedded into its side and a single red feather dropping from a string.

“That’s not much help,” he scowls and deposits the item into the pack he has on his bag. “Almost everyone in the kingdom of SOL has a dagger that looks like this.”

The boy moves forward, musing.

“Does this mean someone else has already visited this cauldron?” he asks, pondering as he steps forward. Another Watcher takes note of him and he dispatches it with ease. “But that’s supposed to be impossible…Shoichi said no one in their right mind would...”

He runs his hands along silver wires and marvels at their complexity. Each coil of metal intertwines into a wall, pulsing and humming with electricity as he moves from section to section. The machines of the cauldron take notice of him, gears clicking and whirling as they roll forward to attack. He dances and dodges, tucking away from their attacks only to slay them in the few seconds he has to act.

Yusaku’s trip through the Cauldron is almost uneventful. Aside from the few ambushes he suffers and the various twists and turns to his landscape, he is honestly not surprised by anything else he encounters. If anything, he grows bored, eyes adjusting to the same metal walls and to the same red-eyed machines that wander in his path. By the time he comes to the end of the cauldron, he’s almost surprised to see that the metal walls open up to something _more_.

Gray transitions to black as the tunnel he stands in becomes a chamber of grandiose proportions. Wires fit behind black walls and tread over black floors to reach a centerpiece of advanced technological properties. A force field much like the one he had seen at the entrance encompassed the center of the chamber, sparking with white light as it enshrouded a secret inside its misty barrier.

“What is this?” he asks, inhaling sharply as he takes a step in, noticing the shape of a machine-like body under the forcefield. “Is this where, perhaps, machines are made?”

Yellow triangles light up underneath his feet. He flinches at the suddenness of their appearance, grabbing for his spear and moving forward. Arms of machines that revolve and rotate poke and prod at the barrier, igniting sparks of electricity that bubble beneath its surface.

“Now…,” he says, strolling forward and inspecting everything he sees before him, “what should I be looking for?”

He approaches the barrier and tests it by nocking an arrow and setting it loose. It fries into a crispy black, scattering into ashes at the foot of the force field.

“Best not to go through there then,” the boy makes an attempt at a chuckle and peers at the three mechanical pillars of arms that move back and forth. A fourth pillar catches his eye, tucked away in the far back. “Ah…maybe there?”

The blue-haired boy slides forward, his senses on all alert as he threads his way through. He reaches the bottom of the high reaching technological structure, inspecting the handholds that lead up to its top with cautious scrutiny.

“These handles…they’re purposely designed to allow humans to climb to the top. Yet, this cauldron is made entirely for machines,” he grabs at one of them and begins ascending. “How very odd. Perhaps coming here was not in vain.”

Yusaku climbs up and up until he reaches the top. There, he alights upon a flat section of machinery with two items of interest. One is of a glowing blue circle that sits at the base of a pedestal – a circle much akin to the one he’d seen at the entrance. The other was a strange device – round, blue, almost similar to the ear microphones of the Old Ones – but it seemed almost out place.

His fingers pick it up and flip it from one side to the other.

To his surprise, it begins to hum.

His hand startles, jumping in surprise but somehow managing to keep the object from falling off the pillar. Yusaku scolds himself for his sudden jump of fright, annoyed that he had let his guard down enough to be scared by a simple noise.

“Still,” he inspects it, “I wonder what this is for? The Old Ones would've used them to listen for things so…”

Yusaku places it next to his ear and listens, tilting his head for any sort of sound or reaction. When he gets none, he tries talking to it.

“Hello?”

“ _Oi, you there!_ ”

He frowns and looks around.

He hears a laugh.

“ _Idiot, you won’t see me like that. If anything, you’re just making yourself look stupid._ ”

“Where are you?” he lets that one sit on the air for a few seconds before he adds: “Who are you?”

“ _I don’t know. Who am I?_ ”

He snarls in frustration and the voice chuckles.

“ _Don’t be that way! Put me on and you’ll see what I mean soon enough!_ ”

“Put you…on?” He squints at the device in his hands and holds it up. “You mean this thing?”

“ _Yes, yes, idiot._ That _thing._ ”

He narrows his eyes. “And how do I know you’re not trying to harm me?”

There’s a snort of disbelief. “ _Puh-lease. It’s not like I can do anything. I’m just a poor little AI trapped in this stupid device and I need a cool and heroic manly man to do it…although, you’re not anywhere close to that perfect image, are you?_ ”

He holds the device over the edge of the pillar and the voice begins to panic.

“ _No, no, NO. Do NOT do that. Do NOT drop me. I DO NOT need to be broken like some insignificant piece of trash_.”

“…Quite talkative, aren’t you?”

“ _Well, yeah, of course I’d be. YOU’RE ABOUT TO KILL ME.”_

“Huh.”

“ _HUH!? That’s all you have to say!? Aren’t you going to ooh and awe over me like any normal person would at my magnificence? Oh, wait, you can’t. You’re already well aware of the machine's sentience, aren’t you, Playmaker?”_

His grip tightens on the device and he frowns down upon it. “How do you know that?”

“ _What? How do I know what? That you talk to machines?_ ” The voice snickers.

“How do you know who I am?”

“ _Ah. That. Well, I know lots of things. For example,_ ” it pauses for a second too long, “ _you’re looking for clues to your past, aren’t you? That’s why you’re here now - because you want to know the truth of 10 years ago?_ ”

Yusaku curls his lips.

“ _How do you know that?_ ” the boy snarls.

Another laugh.

“ _You talk a lot to your robot friends,_ ” it responds. “ _Naturally, I hear things_.”

He eyes it with the beginnings of both fascination and loathing. “Who are you?”

A sigh.

“ _We went through this. Put me on your ear – you’ll see me then_.”

Yusaku frowns, his mind warning him against such actions. However, in his mind, he lists three reasons that calm down any wheedling fears he has:

 _#1 This thing knows I want information and knows I’m Playmaker – whoever’s telling me this must know something about me. #2 If I see the person on the other side, I will be able to see the face behind the voice. If so, I can probably track them down if they run away. #3 The technology of this device is from the age of the Old Ones. Therefore, it is meant to benefit humans instead of harming them_.

He places the thing on his ear.

It hisses and splutters and his eyes widen as blue pixels sweep over his vision and form cyan outlines over every single object in sight. The device hugs onto his ear and projects light from its tip, scanning over every item and reporting to him its name and status in white lettering.

“What…What is this?”

“ _My dear, dear Playmaker,”_ the voice huffs. “This _is what I’m capable of._ ”

He frowns. “I need more of an explanation.”

“ _Ah but of course you do. But let me just say this…I’m not human, Playmaker. Therefore, my capabilities are beyond that of a human._ ”

A distorted shape of black and purple pixels appears in his line of vision. It is an odd and misshaped creature, humanoid in appearance and yet perhaps not. It’s head formed the imitation of a teardrop; it’s fingers and toes with bulbous limbs that screamed more frog than anything human. It had orange eyes, eerie orange eyes that never blinked, never moved, never did anything more than glow with a luminance that rivaled that of the lights in the Cauldrons.

He raises an eyebrow. “Is that it? You’re not human? That’s not a good explanation.”

A vein inevitably pops in the creature’s head. “ _WHAT, HOW DARE YOU!_ ” it stomps its feet like a toddler and then makes a furious gesture at him. “ _You should be in awe of me! In awe_ and  _utter respect of my majesty and coolness and you should be groveling down before me!_ ”

“O…kay?” he turns his attention to the blue circle on the pedestal and pulls out his Overrider. He places the mechanism in place and watches as it whirls with energy. “Still not an explanation.”

The circle fades away and the pedestal falls into the floor, locking into place. The pillar shakes and groans and he finds himself watching as it descends to the floor. “What now?” he asks, gaze sweeping over the chamber.

A giant red outline appear and he stares at it to notice the disappearance of a force field. In it’s place are two Watchers and a creature Yusaku’s only ever seen in passing.

A Fire Bellowback. A large, long, bi-pedal creature with a snout similar to that of a crocodile barrels forward, flames spitting from its mouth. It is almost dinosaur-like in nature with a long, swishing tail of bolts and wires and a sack of transparent white glass that sloshes with green liquid.

“ _Wow, not good_.” The humanoid creature rubs its chin from the corner of his vision. “ _You might want to try and get out of here_.”

“You think?” Yusaku snaps, rolling away as a Watcher charges at him. He stabs the machine with a spear and then eases away as it turns around to take another bite out of him.

“ _No. Merely stating an opinion_.”

“Got any plans, then? Or are you just going to watch me fight?”

“ _Well, well, so pushy. Fine. Do you want some advice?_ ”

He slashes at the pursuing Watcher and then ducks as another one leaps for him. It collides with its brother Machine and then collapses them both into a state of stunned confusion.

The humanoid creature seems to be almost impressed. “ _If you take out the Watchers, you can deal with the Bellowback. Then, the Cauldron should let you leave._ ”

“And what about my information?”

Flames sprout in front of Yusaku and he rolls away as the Bellowback charges the place where he had been standing seconds later.

“ _What information?_ ” His companion blinks.

“About the Corrupters – the Machines that seemed to know who I was.”

It blinks again. Yusaku takes out his bow. “ _Ah. Huh. I thought you were more into playing hero, not chasing after those weird machines. Well, defeat the Bellowback and I’m sure you’ll find some sort of answer._ ”

The Watchers dive again and Yusaku manages to shoot one in the eye. It screams and collapses, body twitching as its life perishes from its body. The second one lashes its tail, head bobbing up and down as it stalks towards the boy. He nocks another arrow, closing one eye and aiming and….

“ _Playmaker!_ ”

An outline of red flashes in his vision and Yusaku darts away just as the Bellowback appears before him with open jaws. It pauses when it does not feel its prey’s body in its jaws and, disappointed with a lack of a kill, its gaze falls back upon the blue-haired boy. Its jaw opens and red flames pour out, curling upwards as it moves towards him.

Yusaku, trying to ignore the slight wobble in his step, backs away, his gaze held between the giant creature and the small companion it had following its every step.

“ _You need to get rid of the Watcher!_ ”

“Don’t tell me that,” he growls, aiming another arrow. He fires and it hits…but the Watcher does not go down. Instead, it hisses at him, jumping up and down as it prepares to attack.

“ _Can’t you do anything more than shoot arrows? You have a spear, don’tcha?”_

“…I have bombs.”

 _“That’d be good! Bombs are good. You’ll be able to take down the Watcher with them. The Bellowback…well, that’s going to take something more._ ”

He nods, reaching behind his back to pull out the various bombs he’s stored inside. He handles them carefully, eyes cautious and, when he sees the briefest moment of distraction in the Bellowback, he turns away and runs to the other side of the Cauldron.

Shoes pound against metal and he hears the click of the Watcher behind him, sees the red light that paints his backside slipping right in front of him. He takes a bomb, places it down, and then continues running. When he hears no noise to alert him of a successful attack, he drops two more. One goes off and Yusaku manages to avoid its aftermath as he ducks behind a barrier in the form of a five-feet high metal wall. He pauses, sighs, and then looks at the materials he has in his bag as he hears the Bellowback call for his name.

“ _Oi, that machine will find you if you just sit around sorting your stuff. You shouldn’t rest easy here, you know._ ”

“I’m aware,” he says, sorting through his various items. “Is there anything _useful_ you can tell me?”

The humanoid creature pokes at a bundle of sticks. Yusaku half-expects it to topple under the thing’s touch but, when it doesn’t, he’s honestly not surprised. “ _Hey, is this ridge-wood?_ ”

“It is.”

The creature inspects a leather bag of pointed triangles of metal and several canisters of vile green liquid. “ _And these are metal shards and some blaze, right?_ ”

“…Yes.”

It rubs its chin. “ _There may be hope to defeat the Bellowback then._ ”

“How so?” he looks over it.

“ _Well, my dear Playmaker, have you ever heard of Fire Arrows?_ ”

“Yes, I use them a lot.” He tilts his head. “But what would they accomplish? They’ll just bounce right off its skin. They’re as useless as regular arrows.”

“ _Not at all!_ ” A picture of a Fire Bellowback appears before him and Yusaku nearly startles. “ _Relax, relax. This is a hologram…You do know what a hologram is, right?_ ”

“I’m not stupid.”

_Cluuuuuack._

The Bellowback was getting impatient.

The hologram version of it made a huffing noise.

“ _Well, look at the areas highlighted in orange_.”

Several parts of the machine light up. A canister on the legs, a cargo sac and the gullet of the machine become illuminated with a peach glow. Yusaku observes each area with interest, scrutinizing every inch of the machine with vague curiosity.

“Alright. What about it?”

“ _These areas are considered highly flammable. They’re hard to aim at but, if you hit them just right with a Fire Arrow, you’ll be dealing_ major _damage to that machine!_ ”

He nods, pressing his back against the barrier and organizing his materials. “I can make about five rounds with the items I have.”

“ _Do you have a good aim?_ ”

“…You can say that.”

“ _Then just make them count_.”

~~~

There is something wrong in the air.

Blue Angel sits on the edge of a cliff, staring into the sky above. She reaches forward, purple eyes scanning the world around her.

“Do you enjoy watching the clouds?”

She turns to see her partner approaching, a bag of pears in his hands. He offers one to her and she takes it.

“No, I don’t.”

“You could’ve had me fooled,” Go Onizuka laughs and sits beside her. “Thinking of your brother?”

“…No.”

“That’s a yes if I’ve ever heard one.”

She offers him a bitter smile. “You can read right through me, can’t you?”

“I try.”

They watch the clouds pass overhead. A cool breeze brushes up against them, wrapping around Blue Angel and then moving past. She lets her fingers curl up around its gentle arm and pushes her legs up to her chest.

“It’s beginning, isn’t it?”

Go looks over at her. “You can tell?”

She twists a lock of blue in her hand. “Can’t you?”

“…They’re rather loud about it, aren’t they?”

“Mm. _She_ is panicking right now.”

“Hah, thought so. A newcomer, right?”

“Seems like it.”

She stands up and he follows her lead. They turn away from the cliff and whistle. Two Sawtooths emerge and kneel before them. They mount the machines and then lead them off towards a distant forest.

“Well then,” she says and catches his eyes, “do you think they’ll make it out alive?”

“I don’t know,” he laughs and follows her lead, “will they?”

“Let’s hope so.”

“To the Cauldron, then.”

“Right.”

They depart.

~~~~

Tuck, dive, roll.

Flames burn at Yusaku’s right.

Tuck, dive, roll.

Flames burn at Yusaku’s left.

“ _Can’t you at least like, I don’t know,_ TRY _to attack it? You’ve done nothing but dodging!_ ”

“It might help if someone would just _shut up_.”

The humanoid creature shakes a finger at him. “ _Hey, mister! I’m trying to help you not get killed! The least you could do is show some respect!_ ”

“Said AI that’s trying to help me is also trying to get me killed by distracting me with all it’s chattering.”

“ _Fine, fine,_ be that way _! Just see you like it when I DON'T help you, mister!_ "

The Bellowback snarls and rams into a nearby barrier. It pauses, stunned momentarily, and then breathes fire just as Yusaku nocks an arrow. He rolls away, hissing as a small flame ignites on his pants. He pats it down and then avoids another ramming charge.

“Is there any way to disable that fire breath?”

“ _Oh so_ NOW  _you want my help?_ ”

“Do you want to burn up alongside my corpse and become a piece of trash?”

“… _Point taken_.” It sighs and stares at him. “ _Alright, aim for the sac in it's neck with one of your fire arrows. If one of them hits it, the thing will have its elemental breath disabled._ ”

“Alright.”

He knocks an arrow and avoids another blast of flames. He tucks himself behind a metal barrier and then takes in a breath to focus himself.

_Concentration._

The Bellowback rears its head, snarling. Yusaku waits, pauses, and then fires. The arrow lands on a spot of transparent glass, amber flames licking at the material until it burns the material away. Fire meets flammable liquid and, in one fell swoop, the machine sets its entire body into a blazing inferno.

“ _Ssssshkreeeeee!_ ”

It howls in agony, backing away as smoke curls up from its backside. It stumbles, battering itself against the metal walls of the Cauldron as the combustion on its body slowly subsides. When the flames die out, it settles it’s red-eyed gaze on Yusaku with a burning vengeance.

“ _It’s pretty weak now,_ ” Yusaku’s companion says. “ _Aim for its legs. If you hit both the canisters there with your Fire Arrows you should be able to cripple it enough to kill it off._ ”

“Right. Got it.”

He pulls out another arrow and aims for one leg. The arrow misses just as the machine pulls away and he narrows his eyes, pulling out and igniting another Fire Arrow. He tries again and, this time, he’s successful.

The machine bellows, snarling and hissing as its leg wobbles and its body shakes alongside it. Yusaku aims again and the machine takes yet another hit. Sparks sizzle and the machine collapses to the ground.

“ _Now, Playmaker! Finish it off!_ ”

He leaps forward, pulling his spear off his back and plunging it into the side of the machine. It splutters in agony, gears grinding before the red light in its eyes fades from existence. Yusaku looks at its corpse, picking away at several different pieces before looking at the black humanoid being that floats in his vision.

“So, what now?” he asks it.

It gestures to the center of the Cauldron. Yusaku’s gaze follows it to the area of interest, eyes landing on a pedestal he had previously neglected to see.

“ _That structure is the ‘database’ for the Cauldron. It should still contain some useful files for you to extract._ ”

“Still?”

His companion huffs. “ _You’re not the only one who has come through here. Only those who defeat the Cauldron are able to earn a piece of the data it holds. No one person gets it all._ ”

“Who else has come by here then?”

“ _I wonder…who could they possibly be?_ ”

He narrows his eyes and walks to the pedestal. Upon noticing yet another blue circle he pulls out his Overrider and settles it in the slot of interest. His device shakes with power and, when it finishes, a blue screen with white words appears.

“ _I am translating the data you got now,_ ” his companion says. “ _Here’s what the files say. Let me put them into text for you._ ”

Yusaku looks over the data with interest, watching as words formulate in front of his eyes.

_…issing. Six children found. They were…_

_….chamber…_

_Test 1…the danger levels are…_

_…if we can…Link Sense…_

**-All files past this point are corrupted-**

He glares at the information. “That’s all?” he asks in disbelief. “After all that?”

The humanoid creature shrugs. “ _It’s all I was able to uncover. Unfortunately, as these files have been kept out of date in comparison to the Cauldron itself, I couldn’t translate much without potentially damaging the data further_.”

“That doesn’t explain _anything_ though. Six children? What about them? A test, danger levels, Link Sense? What does _that_ have to do with Corrupters?”

“ _Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything_.”

He stares at it.

“ _Hey, what? I really don’t!_ ”

The ground beneath him shakes. He flinches and then looks beneath him, almost astonished to see a circular piece of the Cauldron floor rise up. “What’s happening?”

“ _We’re going back up to the surface._ ”

“I see.”

“ _Hey, Playmaker?_ ”

“Hmm?”

“ _Do you have a name? Besides just Playmaker, of course?_ ” Orange eyes peer at him in interest.

“Do you?”

" _I do!_ " It rubs a nonexistent nose. “ _Ai! You may call me Ai._ ”

“Yusaku. Yusaku Fujiki.”

“ _Nice to meet you, Yusaku!_ ”

He says nothing more.

~~~

The outside world makes his eyes hurt. The circular floor lodges into place next to a overpass and he steps onto a strip of white bordered by silver rails. His feet wobble as he moves from metal to dirt and he collapses to the ground with a hiss as a throbbing wound begins to make itself known on his leg.

Ai stands in front of him and watches as Yusaku pulls away the bottom leg of his pants to reveal a red gash edged with purple. He winces, grabbing at a bundle of cloth and wrapping it around the injury.

“… _Quite a nasty thing_.”

“Yeah, it is.” He ties a knot and then manages to stand back up again. He hears doors shut behind him, clicking into place, and he isn’t at all surprised to see the Cauldron closed to him. “But we have to keep moving.”

“ _Why? I thought the danger was already over with since you finished the Cauldron and all?_ ”

He whistles for his companion. The Strider comes prancing up, neighing in greeting as Yusaku places a hand on its head. He mounts it and Ai’s hologram form lounges on the horses neck.

“Perhaps, but perhaps not.”

Ai tilts its head in confusion.

Yusaku begins to list three reasons.

“#1: Even though I retrieved the data from the Cauldron, I still don’t have all the files. If what you said is true, then there are others with those files. If they’ve discovered I’ve retrieved another one, they’ll most likely want to come after me and steal what I have. I can’t risk that.

“#2: The reason why I went to the Cauldron was to figure out who programmed the Corrupter and why it seemed to know of me. Machines are not supposed to be able to speak or recognize humans and yet that one did. It was said to have come from the Cauldron but, as I found no Corrupters during my time there, it means there is somewhere else I must still find. Staying here will only be wasting my time.

“#3: Standing in front of a Cauldron is a red flag invitation for other travelers to start noticing me more. If people see me here outside the Cauldron, they’re going to get suspicious. I heard from my friend that this place is regarded as sacred and dangerous – no right-minded person would dare tread here. If other people notice me here and now, it’ll only make it harder for me to act as Playmaker when everyone’s eyes are already on me.”

“ _In other words, you don’t want to stand out._ ”

Yusaku looks at it and the creature waves back at him rather mockingly. “You’d be right.”

His Strider begins moving forward at a gentle pace, calm and steady as it leads the boy forward into a land of snowy dirt and icy winds. Red-tipped grass glowing with little bubbles of light swishes underneath, inviting them forward as they tread past.

“ _Sooo, Playmaker._ ”

“What is it?”

The creature crawls to the top of the Strider’s head. “ _Why did you become Playmaker, anyways?_ ”

“To fight against the machines.”

“ _…You’re lying_.” Ai points a finger. “ _There’s gotta be more to it than_ that _._ ”

“And you wouldn’t be wrong,” he shrugs and urges his mount a little faster. A nearby Grazer pokes its head up, watches, and then loses interest as they disappear from sight. “But I’m not going to tell everything to a machine.”

“ _Why nooooot?_ ”

“Plain and simple: I don’t trust you.”

“ _Huuuuuh?_ ” Ai stands up and stomps its feet. “ _But you just HAVE to trust me! I’m so cool and awesome, aren’t I? I mean, do any of your people get to see cool hologram creatures like me all the time?_ ”

“No, because that would be dumb.”

“ _Well, excuse you! I have NOTHING wrong with me!_ ”

“Actually, you talk too much, for one.”

“ _’You talk too much’_ ,” it mimics in disgust. “ _Yeah, well, maybe_ you _should try talking a little_ more _!_ ”

He offers no response to that and the creature turns its back to him, arms crossed and head high in the air. His Strider seems to whinny in amusement at such an action, shaking its head. The creature sits firm, however, its projection kept almost immaculately in place. In some ways, it almost seemed like Ai actually existed in the physical realm.

Red.

Yusaku yanks on the reins of his Strider and the machine halts into place, skidding its hooves into the dirt. Ai flails in place, arms in the air as it turns around to glare at Yusaku.

“ _What was_ that _for?_ ”

“Look up ahead.”

Ai squints at him and then obeys. “ _W-Wait is that a...?_ ”

“Fire,” he confirms, noticing black clouds of smoke appearing from a layer of purest white. Red burns furious, igniting the trees around it with simmering anger.

“ _But why?_ ”

“I don’t know – there’s no town or city in that area. There should be no reason to…unless…”

“ _Unless?_ ”

“The Knights of Hanoi.”

“ _Oh, them?_ ” Ai scoffs. " _Bunch of wannabe cultists, if you ask me._ "

He side-eyes Ai with mild concern. “They’re not something to laugh about. They’re fanatics who worship the machines a little too much but, in the end, they’re just as dangerous.”

“ _They’re_ humans _though! Nothing some bombs and a few nicely-shot arrows can’t take care of!_ ”

“These _humans_ have control over the machines.”

“ _Yeah, and? You do too._ ”

“But there's an issue with that. The problem is – I can’t go into battle unprepared. If I do, I risk my identity as Playmaker being known. I can’t have that information in someone else’s hands as it stands now.”

The humanoid creature makes a laughing sound akin to a bird’s chirp. “ _That, my dear friend, should be the_ least _of your problems!_ ”

He looks it over and frowns.

“ _Don’t give me that look! If you look at your hands you’ll understand! I've engaged the mechanism for you, my dear partner!_ ”

Yusaku holds them up and sees not pale-colored skin but, instead, black and green fabric lined with gold. His eyes widen and he moves his gaze all around his body, noticing the same colors splotched all along his arms, legs, and torso. Ai follows his gaze with amusement, chin rested on two propped up hands.

“What did you do to me?” he asks, his lips beginning to curl up in distaste.

“ _Relax there, tiger. That right there is a special part of my programming – the ability to disguise my master with any appearance other than his own! Of course, it has limited capabilities but this is what it generated for you._ ”

“So…other people who see me will see this too?”

“ _Only if you keep the hologram form on. Certain people may be able to see past it, however, and there’s only so much I can do about that._ ”

“What type of people?”

“ _I don’t know yet._ ”

“That’s helpful,” Yusaku looks over his form with modest surprise before urging his Strider forward again. “But, regardless, if this will protect my identity then I can fight them without restraint.”

“ _And is that a good idea?_ ”

He doesn’t answer.

“ _…Oi, don’t get yourself killed, alright?”_

“I’ll try.”

Ai sighs.

~~~

The site of the fire is a clearing in the middle of a snow-touched forest. Already, Knights of Hanoi have gathered. Men cloaked in white robes and faces hidden by metal masks create a circle around an encampment of machines. A cruelly-made prison sits in the center, fashioned from cedar logs and coils of rope. Yusaku spies three people inside – two men and one women with the emblem of SOL on their ragged uniforms.

“They took prisoners,” Yusaku says, pulling out a bow.

“ _And they’re not alone, either._ ”

Red pulses in his vision and he sees the outline of a Fire Bellowback and two Scrappers – hyena-like machines - right beside it. He scowls, watching.

“ _Aren’t you going to do anything?_ ”

“Not yet.”

“… _What are you waiting for, Master Playmaker?_ ”

He frowns. “An opening. I’ll need to override one of those Scrappers as a distraction for the other machines. However, I’m going to need to wait until all the Knights of Hanoi aren’t looking to strike.”

“ _And why are you risking your life to fight them? Do you want to save those prisoners so bad?_ ”

“The prisoners aren’t my biggest concern,” he responds lightly. “If anything, what I’m most worried about is-!“

A loud screeching sound hits his right ear and he winces. Ai panics, flailing about as the noise persists. However, after a few seconds, a blissful silence passes over and he gives a muffled sigh. His gaze falls upon the humanoid creature in front of him. “What was that?”

Ai blinks. “ _Likely, it means we have some company_.”

“Company?” he asks, intrigued, but finds himself surprised as something runs past him.

A Sawtooth.

He bristles with unease, grabbing at his spear and rolling to the side. However, unlike what he expects, the sabertooth-like machine does not pause to glare at him with red eyes. Instead, it carries a figure of blue forward, roaring as it barrels through a blockade of Hanoi Knights.

“… _Well, I guess you got your distraction._ ”

He nods, pointing an arrow at a member of Hanoi. He pulls back the string and lets it go. The arrow flies, striking a headshot and the knight crumples to the ground. The Sawtooth rider – a girl of blue familiarity – shoots up in alarm as she watches Yusaku’s accomplishment, gaze searching for his presence. However, her distraction is shortly-lived as a Scrapper takes interest in her. She snarls, upset, and aims her creature to quickly eliminate the other machine.

One of the knights with heavy armor and a cannon similar to that of a Ravager’s points at the Sawtooth. “Aim for the girl!” he shouts. “ _Shoot her off_ that damned machine!”

The Sawtooth rears and snarls, swiping at any arrows that come towards its master. However, in the process of doing so, it fails to see the bomb planted underneath it and is blown back, its rider tossed off.

Yusaku acts quick, darting out from his hiding spot and whistling as he races for the scene of the action. His Strider appears beside him and he mounts it in motion. The horse machine darts forward, plowing through several humans as Yusaku catches the girl in his arms. There’s a slight ‘oof!’ as she lands and then he retreats from the scene of the crime. The Sawtooth, having recovered and seeing its master in danger, sprints towards him with an open maw.

“Call your machine off,” Yusaku tells the girl. “I’m not your enemy.”

She eyes him with distrust but, after a few moments of inner debating, she raises her fingers to her lips and makes a specific call. The Sawtooth closes its mouth but pursues close behind with impressive restraint.

“Who are you?” she asks.

“Playmaker.”

"Playmaker?" Her eyes widen but she has no time to react as a Scrapper appears in front of them. Yusaku’s Strider rears and then smashes its hooves down. However, such an action is not enough to stop the second Scrapper from knocking into them and sending both humans off the machine. Yusaku curls the girl’s head against his chest and braces himself for a dangerous impact.

Something catches the edge of his collar right before he hits the ground and, aside from a brief moment of choking, Yusaku lands without harm. The boy looks up and sees another Sawtooth standing overhead.

“Get away from Blue Angel,” a voice commands and Yusaku sees Go Onizuka glaring down upon him. Two Watchers pause at the feet of his ride before darting into battle.

“Who?” he asks but the girl in his arms pushes him away and stands to her feet.

“Me,” she tells him, clicking to her machine. The sabertooth creature prowls forward and she mounts it again. “Stand down Go. He saved my life – he’s an ally. His name is Playmaker.”

“Playmaker?” he looks over the boy and Yusaku’s gaze darts to his hands. They are still covered in the hologram image and, despite himself, he breathes a sigh of relief. “This man?”

“ _How rude,_ ” Ai huffs. “ _Playmaker, tell him off!_ ”

Instead, Yusaku nods and then gestures to the field of battle. “We have a fight to win,” he says. Blue Angel, having realized their predicament yet again, races off into the fray without another word.

“Do you have a machine?” Go asks him.

He looks over at the Strider that has already been ripped apart by the nearby Scrappers. “…No.”

“Then you should stay away. It’s not safe here.”

“I have a bow.”

Go looks over him for a moment before giving him an understanding grin. “Then I guess you better use it,” he kicks the side of his Sawtooth and races to Blue Angel’s side.

The Scrappers turn to Yusaku. He shoots an arrow at one and it snarls, rushing forward with the crusher-like parts of its mouth spinning. He baits it towards him, watching for the other, and then grabs his spear. When it comes close, leaping to crush his head into power, he ducks to the side and stabs its flank. It howls, parts whining, and then collapses in a shower of electric sparks.

“ _Wow, you make it look so easy._ ”

The second Scrapper snarls, moving towards him step-by-step. Its red eyes watch him, scanning him over and over with a pulse of blue that paints over his figure. It was observing him, scanning him with its radar and observing his every weakness.

Yusaku pulls out his Tripcaster and sets down two Shock Wires. The machine takes no notice of the trap, focusing all its attention on the human boy in front of it. Yusaku urges it closer, whistling to gets its attention. It pauses, lifts its head into a howl, and then charges.

An electric shock barrels through its body and the machine convulses as it collapses to the ground. It whines and snarls, legs flailing, and Yusaku dashes to place his Overrider at the base of the machine’s neck. Little hooks pop out of the device, digging into the coils of wire that make up the Scrapper’s existence and plunging light blue electricity all throughout its body. When he finishes, he jumps back and watches as the robot clambers to its feet, shaking itself and then staring at him in anticipation.

“I want you to kill all the humans who are _not_ riding on Sawtooths,” he tells it. “And then the Bellowback if you are able to.”

It makes a barking sound of comprehension and then races off with a howl. Yusaku watches it go, pausing for a second before darting into a section of tall grass.

“… _It’s almost amazing how obedient they become after you override them. Much less that they can understand you_.”

“You’re a machine, aren’t you? It shouldn’t be that complicated a concept. The Overrider makes it so that we can command the machines. Why they can understand us though, I wouldn’t know.”

The humanoid creature puts its hands on its hips. “ _You’re mocking me, aren’t you?_ ” it accuses.

He doesn’t give it a response, merely nocking another arrow. His machine goes to work, battling alongside the Sawtooths against the members of Hanoi. The Watchers Go had employed earlier had already fallen, corpses on the fray of the battlefield while several knights looted their bodies dry. Yusaku shoots at all of them, killing two and alerting the rest. They swoop down upon him, spears raised, arrows readied, and Yusaku grimaces as he's purged from his hiding place.

“Get that rat!” one woman shouts, growling as he misses a shot at her head. “Kill him now!”

Snarling, Yusaku avoids a spear in his direction, dancing away and grabbing at a pike jabbed in his direction. He pulls it forward and then stabs his spear into the lady’s side. An arrow passes forward, nicking his cheek, and he slices at the unlucky man’s neck to watch him fall. The woman in charge, a brawny knight with eyes burning with the lust of battle, rushes at him. He avoids a blow to his neck by blocking with his spear, tumbling back at the force before regaining himself to kick at her feet. She is not so easily beaten, however, and she jumps back…and right into the flames of her fellow Bellowback ally. Her body incinerates in flames, screams sounding from the depths of fire and darkness, and then her charred corpse collapses as the Bellowback walks past and over to Yusaku.

“ _That’s not a traumatic thing to see,_ ” Ai remarks, gazing at the bipedal machine that hovers overhead. “ _Playmaker, please_ don’t _just sit here. You need to run. Like, NOW._ ”

He rolls away just in time, orange light burning where he had been standing seconds ago. The Bellowback, taking notice, regards him with interest.

“ _Y…._ ”

It pauses, embers sizzling in its mouth.

“ _You…_ ”

The boy stares up at it as does Ai.

“ _You aren’t…_ ”

Ai squints. “ _You aren’t what?_ ” it asks.

Something screeches and, within seconds, the Bellowback is pushed aside and down onto the ground. Sharp claws shred into the metal machine, ripping through wire and gears until the red light from the creature’s eyes fade from existence.

“Are you alright?” Go faces him with a slight air of worry, urging his Sawtooth mount forward. “I saw that Bellowback approaching and I came as quick as I could. Did it burn you anywhere?”

He raises a hand. “I’m fine, thank you. You should be more concerned about your ally – she probably needs your help.”

“I do?” a laugh and then Blue Angel appears. “The battle’s already finished, though, and the prisoners are released-” she gestures to a group of people who are tending to their wounds and then moves her gaze back to him “- and thus I have no need for Go’s assistance anymore.”

“I...stand corrected then.”

Both girl and boy hop over their machines and approach him. Blue Angel takes the lead, giving the imitation of a curtsy. “Thanks for your help in this fight,” she tells him, “and for saving me. Is there any way the Machinists can repay you for your acts?”

“I don’t need to be owed anything,” he tells them.

Confusion sparks in her purple eyes. “But, surely, you do want _something_ from us, don’t you? Money, power, a place with SOL? I’m sure I could even convince Akira Zaizen himself to let you join the Machinists if you so wished.”

“What I want is something you won’t have,” Yusaku tells her, polite and calm. “There is nothing I want from you. However, I will thank you for the offer.”

“I see,” she frowns and then puts her fingers to her lips. “Well then. Perhaps, maybe, for now, I’ll say we owe you. If there’s anything you want from us, any little favor, any at all, then send a message to Akira Zaizen. He keeps in contact with us regularly and will pass along your words to us quicker than anyone else.”

“I see. Alright, I’ll keep that in mind if you are insistent in repaying your debts.”

Go nods. “We take this very seriously. Not many can earn our respect and trust like you have. Only a special few can take control of machines and, if you are one of those people,” he gestures to the Scrapper Yusaku had tamed minutes before, “then you are certainly one of us.”

“One of you?”

Blue Angel nods. “You went into the Cauldron, didn’t you?”

(He’s suddenly on his toes, balancing on a tripwire as they await his words.)

“What Cauldron?”

(They swim around him, eyes like sharks.)

“Why, the Cauldron just south of here,” Blue Angel says with a chuckle. “You saw something special there, didn’t you, Playmaker?”

Yusaku narrows his eyes, resisting the urge to take a step back and retreat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Go looks over him and then to Blue Angel. A secret message passes between them and then he raises his hands. “Alright, alright, if you say so. Regardless,” he turns to his machine and climbs back onto it, “we need to get going now. Can you get back on your own?"

“I’ll manage.”

They pause and, after realizing he’ll say nothing more, they reluctantly take their leave. Yusaku watches them go, waiting until they disappear to set his gaze onto the humanoid creature before him.

“You were oddly quiet.”

Ai shrugs. “ _What can I say? They’re curious folks – I couldn’t help but hear what they had to say.”_

"Huh.”

“ _What are you going to do now?_ ”

“I’m going to head home. I’m sure my friend is waiting for me, sick with worry no doubt.”

“ _You have_  friends _?_ ”

“I do.” He smiles at that. “First, however, I’m going to need a mount to get back home.”

Ai nods and gestures to a nearby field. “ _There’s a Strider herd nearby. You can override a machine there._ ”

He nods.

~~~

When he arrives, Shoichi’s gaze is unrecognizable. His friend’s stare is puzzled, confused and yet wary as Yusaku enters the wagon.

“Who are you?” he asks, reaching for a nearby spear. “And why are you in my shop?”

Yusaku takes a step back, holding up his arms in confusion. “Woah, Shoichi, it’s me, your friend – Yusaku!”

The man regards him with a slight curl of his lips. “You look nothing like him.”

“What are you talking about I’m-” the boy pauses as notices his hands and then stares at the humanoid creature in the corner of his vision. “Ai, turn off the disguise. I don’t need it anymore.”

It chuckles at him, seemingly stalling until Yusaku glares at it. The thing hums and then snaps its fingers. Instantly, the green and black fabric that covers his hands dissipates and Yusaku is left with pale skin and his normal outfit of a black cloak and a white shirt.

Shoichi marvels over him with fascination, approaching with awe wide in his eyes. “Yusaku, how did you…?”

He points to the device curled around his ear and shrugs. “I found this in the Cauldron. It allows me to see and do things that aren’t normal. Like, for example, create a disguise made from a hologram.”

“A hologram?”

The boy elaborates. “A projected image put in place of another. It deceives the eye into thinking there’s something there when there’s not.”

“How wonderful,” the man breathes, eyeing the object with intrigue. “I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s amazing, Yusaku.”

“It’s also very annoying.”

“How so?”

“It talks a lot.”

Shoichi pauses. “It can…talk to you?”

“There’s a creature that lives inside it that I can only see while wearing this. It’s a humanoid thing with purple lines and orange eyes. Ai, are you there?”

It appears before him and seems to inspect the man with a huff of disdain. “ _Your friend doesn’t look all that impressive,_ ” he says. “ _He looks rather stupid_.”

“That’s a rude thing to say,” Shoichi responds with a light chuckle, not at all offended.

There’s a pause and then Yusaku stares at him. “You can hear it?”

“Of course I can. It’s coming from that device on your ear.”

“ _Humans can only hear me if I want them to,_ ” Ai says, wagging a finger. “ _And if you trust this man then so do I._ ”

“You sure are a gullible thing, aren’t you?” Yusaku asks it.

“ _Huh? What do you mean?_ ”

“You trust me so easily.”

“ _I kind of have to,_ ” it points out. “ _I can’t leave the Focus_. _I'm stuck here with you, alas._ ”

“Focus?” Shoichi asks.

“ _The device your friend is wearing,_ ” Ai says. “ _I am designed to be a program for it – a_ guide _to whoever wears the Focus._ ”

“So, you’re a machine?” Yusaku’s eyebrows furrow.

“ _Nope! Unlike those weird things, I'm allowed to be free of mind 24/7! There's no way a human can control_ me _!_ ”

“How interesting. Yusaku, may I dissect it for a bit?”

“ _No, you may NOT_.”

“I’m asking Yusaku.”

The boy smiles. “Yes, I'll allow it.”

“ _See he says-WAIT. NO. YUSAKU. BAD HUMAN. DON’T LET HIM TOUCH ME!_ ”

They both begin to laugh and the creature crosses it arms, smarting as they chuckle over its sudden fit of panic.

“Relax,” Yusaku says, holding out a hand and letting the creature sit on it. It huffs and refuses to meet his gaze. “We won’t do that to you. _Yet_ , anyways. You’re still useful, after all.”

“ _And what is THAT supposed to mean?_ ”

“Just what I said,” he offers up a yawn and looks over to Shoichi. “I’m going to bed. I’m tell you everything in the morning – for now, I need to sleep.”

“It’s all ready for you,” the man says. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah, see you then.”

“Goodnight, Yusaku.”

“Goodnight, Shoichi.”

He leaves for bed.

~~~

“You know, you probably shouldn’t be staying up this late.”

Akira Zaizen peers up from his flask of coffee to stare at Ema. “And what do you mean?”

She crosses her legs, picking up a scroll from a nearby table and skimming through its contents. “Just that,” the woman says. “Staying up past midnight isn’t good for your skin, you know.”

The man takes a sip and swashes brown liquid in his mouth. “I’m not concerned about my complexion, Ema. I’m concerned for my sister.”

“Ah, right,” she picks up another scroll and runs her finger through it. “Her. The darling little angel who runs around playing hero. I’m quite envious that she’s the apple of your eyes, Akira.”

He leans back in his chair. “Why are you here?” he asks her. “Aren’t you the one who should be worried about your looks?”

“I can’t sleep,” she says, crossing her legs in the other direction. “Plus, you need some company to keep your mind at ease, you nervous thing.”

Akira raises an eyebrow. “I’m nervous, am I?”

She doesn’t even look at him when she says: “Your hands are shaking.”

He looks down and, to his surprise, notices she is right. The flask in his grasp moves left and right, shivering as he holds it. He closes the flash and then settles it on his desk, ignoring the item as a door opens.

“Broth-!” Blue Angel pauses as her gaze lands upon Ema and the girl interrupts herself with a curtsy. “Akira Zaizen, hello.”

“Spare the theatrics, Aoi,” Ema says, merely giving a mysterious smile as the blue-haired girl gazes upon her. “You have no need to restrain yourself in my presence.”

The girl sheds her form, blue hair disappearing into brown and her bright uniform fading into one of black and yellow. Her gaze alights upon the gray-haired woman with distaste. “This information isn’t for third-party members to hear, _Ema,_ so I suggest you head back home now.”

“My, you still don’t trust me?” she places her scroll down and stands up. “Well, if you want me to leave then I will leave.”

“Wait, Ema-” Akira says but the woman holds up a hand.

“It’s fine, I’ll go.” The lady moves towards Aoi Zaizen and then pauses right beside her. “After all, I’ll find out what she has to say eventually.”

She leaves, the door closing behind her. Aoi waits a few minutes before turning to her brother.

“You shouldn’t trust her,” the girl says, taking residence on the chair Ema had been sitting on earlier. She picks through the scrolls and then relaxes when she notices none of them are too-important documents. “She’s a liability to us.”

“You forget though, she’s an important ally too. Her skills are going to be needed in our upcoming plans.”

She sighs. “Are you sure we can’t just replace her with someone else? Maybe with someone a little more…tied down?”

Akira shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Aoi, but I can’t do that,” his gaze meets her's. Her eyes speak of defiance but, after a second, she backs down and allows him to continue. “But, enough on that. What happened? You were supposed to be back by mid-afternoon.”

She fidgets with her skirt. “…Someone else went into the Cauldron today. Cauldron Sigma, to be precise.”

“ _That_ Cauldron?”

Aoi nods. “We assume they found what was at the end of the chamber. When Go and I checked it out, it had closed itself up again. However, there were definitely human footprints outside. _Fresh_ human footprints.”

“Do you have a suspect?”

“…Playmaker.”

His eyes bores into her, prodding. “Playmaker? You met him?”

“We met him at a Hanoi encampment,” she doesn’t miss the way his hands curl into fists or the way Akira looks like he’s holding back a lecture, “and he saved me when they knocked me off my Sawtooth. The Machinists are in his debt now, brother. I told him to come to you if he has a request or favor of us.”

“I see,” he says, his gaze fixated on the desk in front of him. “I will keep that in mind. However, did you not try to recruit him?”

“We tried,” she gives a shrug. “He refused.”

A breath in. A breath out.

“Well. I guess there’s nothing we can do then. Has _she_ told you anything else?”

Aoi touches her ear, pulling back a lock of brown and twisting in between her fingers. “No, nothing past what we already know. The machines are organizing, as we suspected. That, and Hanoi is becoming more active.”

“Have you gotten in contact with the others?”

“Their messengers all say the same thing. I’m afraid there’s not much we can do at this point but search for answers.”

He sighs and stands to his feet. “Very well then. You are dismissed for now, Aoi. Go. Rest. Tomorrow we will discuss our plans again.”

She nods, leaving her seat to depart through the door. Go awaits her there, much to her surprise.

“Still up?” she asks him. “I thought you wanted to get some rest.”

“Just thinking,” he says. “About Playmaker.”

“Ah. Him.”

“Isn’t it a bit too coincidental that he showed up?”

“You thought the same?”

Go nods. “He came from the direction of the Cauldron. I saw him when we came in, the footprints from that place led up to him. I didn’t get a good look at his ear in the dark but it’s possible that…”

“Yes,” her fingers brush underneath strands of brown to touch at an item pressed against her temple. “He’s one of us, most likely. That, or he helped out the one who did.”

“He overrode a Scrapper.”

She remembers the strange, hyena-like machine that had come to their aid in the midst of battle. Scrappers weren't a normal machine the Machinists over-rode so it was almost a surprise when such a robot appeared before them. “That he did. Perhaps, next time, we’ll confront him about it.”

“I doubt he’ll show himself to us.”

The girl looks at him. “Then we’ll flush him out,” she says softly. “Talk to the merchants, the travelers. We’ll be looking for someone out of place at the scene of the most intensive action. And I think I know where to start: the last place of civilization he was seen at.”

“Den City?”

She smiles at him. “You got it.”

“Tomorrow, then?”

“Tomorrow.”

They depart.

~~~

Bubbles.

Murky water presses against Yusaku and he realizes one thing:

He's drowning.

In the darkness, amber eyes meet jade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~(Dictionary: 
> 
> Machinists-legendary sellswords who have the ability to control and tame the machines of the world. Well known as the “Heroes of the VRAINS”, they are considered protectors and guardians of humanity. Some regard them as myth, others who have laid eyes upon them consider them akin to gods and deities. They do not exist in the actual game canon.
> 
> Knights of Hanoi-cultists who have the ability to control machines similar to the Machinists. A strange group whose intentions seem to be rather malicious...
> 
> Focus-a device worn on the ear that has the ability to detect the weaknesses of machines and to see both human and robotic life from far distances. In Yusaku’s case, he has a special program known as Ai to aid him that is entrapped in the Focus. Said to be reminiscent to a device of the Old Ones.
> 
> Overrider-a mysterious device that Yusaku and supposedly the Machinists have a hold of. It has the ability to enter into strange, technologically advanced places and to tame the machines that run wild across the land.
> 
> Fire Bellowback-a bi-pedal creature with a giant sac of green flammable liquid on its back. A large creature vaguely reminiscent of a dinosaur variant (think spinosaur or baryonyx) that has the ability to set things on fire. Has a counterpart known as a Freeze Bellowback which is said to be able to ‘freeze’ any free-burning flames.
> 
> Scrapper-hyena-like machines that act as the scavengers of the machine ecosystem. They are known to tear apart fallen machines for their scrap metal and carry it to someplace unknown. Perhaps, they are gathering metal to give to the Cauldrons to create new machines...)~
> 
> ~~~
> 
> This chapter is 34 pages long. I also had several epiphanies while writing this. 1-I do not ever want to write a character exploring places along without someone to interact with ever again. 2-Wooow fighting scenes are painful. 3-being vague is hard i s2g. I tried to cover up parts of the plot with vagueness but I think I failed whoops.
> 
> Fun fact: over-riding machines does not work in the game like the way it does in this story. When you override machines in Horizon Zero Dawn, depending on whether you have the skill or not, machines can be tamed indefinitely but they will NOT obey orders you give to them. They will not follow you after you tamed them and will continue to haunt the areas you overrode them in. The plus side, however, is that they won't try to kill you and instead try to kill any other machines. Also, you can't ride Sawtooths in game which SUCKS. I was so excited to be able to ride them and then I learned you couldn't and...well, sad times.
> 
> Another fun fact: I once overrode a Sawtooth in-game and mistook a Ravager for said Sawtooth and got killed rather quickly. I was SO confused until I realized that Ravagers do NOT equal Sawtooths. They look the same to me though, even though one's a sabertooth tiger machine and the other is a wolf machine. Alas, that mistake was my doom.


End file.
